The establishment of Soweto is, like
Johannesburg, linked directly to the discovery of Gold in 1885. Thousands
of people from around the world and South Africa flocked to the new town to
seek their fortunes or to offer their labour. Within 4 years Johannesburg
was the second largest city in South Africa. More than half the population
was black, most living in multi racial shanty towns near the gold mines in
the centre of the town. As the gold mining industry developed, so did the
need for labour increase. Migrant labour was started and most of these workers
lived in mine compounds. However other workers had to find their own accommodation
often in appalling conditions.

The first residents of what is now
known as Soweto were located into the area called Kliptown in 1905 following
their relocation from “Coolietown” in the centre of Johannesburg as a result
of an outbreak of bubonic plague. The Johannesburg City Council took the opportunity
to establish racially segregated residential areas. Some residents were to
be relocated to Alexandra Township (near the present day Sandton). This group
comprised black, Indian and colored families and they received freehold title
to their land (this was subsequently reversed by the Apartheid Government).
Only black families were located into Kliptown and the housing was on a rental
basis. Kliptown was subsequently renamed Pimville.

16 June 1976

Uprisings

During the 1930’s the demand for
housing for the large numbers of black people who had moved into Johannesburg
grew to such an extent that new housing was built in an area known as Orlando,
named after the first administrator Edwin Orlando Leaky.

In the 1940’s a controversial
character James Mpanza led the first land invasion and some 20000 squatter’s
occupied land near Orlando. James Mpanza is known as the “Father of Soweto”.

A view of Soweto from the top of the
Oppenheimer tower in 1959 the residents of Sophiatown were forcibly removed to
Soweto and occupied the area known as Meadowlands. Sir Earnest Oppenheimer, the
first chairman of the Anglo American Corporation, was appalled by the housing
shortage and was instrumental in arranging a loan for the construction of
additional housing and this is commemorated by the Oppenheimer Tower in
Jabulani.

Current status of Soweto.

Soweto falls within the municipality
of the Johannesburg Metro Council in the province of Gauteng which
appropriately means place of Gold.

The original rental houses have now
been sold to the tenants who received a subsidy from the government to cover
the cost of the houses. Private sector housing was developed from the 1980’s
funded by the various banks. Freehold title is available to the properties.

Services are provided by the
Johannesburg Metro council and electricity by Eskom.

Origins of the name.

Soweto obtained its name from the
first two letters of South Western Township which was the original description
of the area.

“Soweto is a symbol of the New South
Africa, caught between old squatter misery and new prosperity,
squater and an upbeat lifestyle, it’s a vibrant city which still openly bears
the scars of the Apartheid past
and yet shows what’s possible in the New South Africa”

We will take you on a conducted tour
of all the high and lowlights of Soweto.

Some of the interesting and historic
places that you will visit include Hector Pieterson Memorial Museum ,